Fare indicator



17, 1931. H HElNz 1,796,653

. FARE INDICATOR Filed Fel. 13, 1928 2 ShBStS-Sheet '2 Patented Mar. 17, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HANS HEINZ, OF VILLINGEN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO KIENZLE UHRENFABRIKEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT, F SCHWENNINGEN, GERMANY, A CORPORATION 0F GER- MANY FARE INDICATOR Application filed February 13, 1928, Serial No. 254,130, and in Germany February 14, 1927.

My invention relates to improvements in registering mechanisms, and the obgect of the improvements is to provide a mechm nism of this type tor controlling the leno'th et way made by a car and covered oy impost or insurance taxes or the like to be raised in accordance withthe length -ot way made by the car. 'Vhen calculating the impost or insurance taxes by means oi` an apparatus ot' this kind provision must be made that the tax department or the insurance company is not cheated through tampering with the parts of the mechanism used for registering the length of way.

y,lo this end the apparatus is constructed so that any fraud can be directly ascertained from the indications made on the ycontrol strips or cards. For this purpose a controlling member projecting through the wall of the casing of the registering 1nechanism is provided, by the operation of which .the number ot the units of the length of way made by the car is recorded at the beginning and at the end of the length of way covered by the impost or insurance tax by means of printing mechanism operatively connected with a registering or odometer mechanism driven by the vehicle and mounted within the apparatus, the con- So trolling strip or cord being released and ejected from the casing only aiter having printed thereon both the initial .and final' numbers oi the odometer' mechanism. Upon the insertion olE a controlling card, which represents the payment oi the insurance tax or impost for a certain distance, the said controlling member is first operated to record the reading orn the odometer on such card, the length ot way made by the car. l0 `l)reterably, on the said controlling card the entire length of way for which the impost or insurance tax has been paid is recorded. Such controlling cards can be purchased ior example in public sales oflices, from i5 tax collectors, and the like, and they are inserted into the controlling apparatus at the beginning of the insurance of the car, Thereafter the controlling member projecting from the casing is operated for printing 5G on the said card the number registered on the odometer and indicating the beginning of the insurance. lVhile the car drives through the length of way covered by the said impost or insurance card the section of the controlling strip remains within the apparatus and it can be removed therefrom only after the length oi' way covered by the insurance or impost has been made and the controlling member has been operated for recording the new indication of the odometer on the card, which indication shows the length of way made by the car.

For renewing the impost or the insurance the controlling card is ejected, and a new card is inserted into the printing 1nechanism ot' the apparatus, whereupon the indication of the registering mechanism is printed on the new card, the said indication registering, for the new card, the initial position of the odometer.

If the said initial position of the odometer has been printed on the second card immediately after ejecting the rst card, the new initial position of the odometer printed on the new card is the same as the linal position of the odometer printed on the ejected card. It, however, the car has been in operation within the period of time after ejecting the old impost card and inserting' the new controlling card into the printing mechanism, and if therefore the car has been operated without an impost or insurance tax having' been paid, this fraudcan be directly ascertained from the dillerence between the final position of the odometer printed on the first card and the initial position of the odometer printed on the second card. Thus, by coinparing. all the controlling strips showing the initial and end positions of the odometer the ollicial can nd out whether or not the vehicle has been in operation without having an impost or insurance card placed in the registering mechanism. Therefore the amount ot the impost or the insurance tax which has not been printed by means of the controlling apparatus can be calculated and collected.

For the purpose of explaining the invention an example embodying the same has been shown in the accompanying drawings 'LTI CII

in which the same letters of reference have been used in all the views to indicate corresponding parts. In said drawings,

Fig. l, is an elevation showing the apparatus,

Fig. 2, is an elevation looking from the left in Fig. l,

Fig. 3, is a sectional elevation of the apparatus, some of the par-ts of the mechanism being -brolren away, Y

Fig. 4, is an elevation looking from the left of Fig. 3, the front wall of the casing being removed,

Figo, is a. sectional elevation taken on the line of Fig. 4, and

Fig. 6, shows the controlling lcard Iused in the apparatus.

inthe example shown in the figures the a oaratus 1lcom arises a 'ca-sino l rovided Ain-v ternal'ly with two walls 2, 3 disposed parallel to veach other and 'providing bearings for the -partsof the mechanism.

In the said wal-ls 2, 3 va vmain ydriving shaft is rotatably mounted, which controls the various parts 'of 'the mechanism. The said vshaft carries a cam 5 `cooperating with one end 6 of a bifnrcated lever 8 rockingly monnted on a shaft 7, the bifnrcated bottom ends of the said lever rbeing formed with 'laterally directed lugs 9.

Then starting 'the 'operation of the mechanism, the said lugs 9 vengage in longitudinal slots l0 made in the partition walls 2, 3 and providing vguides for the controlling card ii shown in Fig. 6.

Further, at opposite sides of the partition walls 2, 3 a cam l2 is xed to the driving shaft 4, and each of the said 'cams l2 cooperates with bolt l fixed to each arm 14 of a supporting member' l5 connecting 'the The 'arms 14 of the member l5 vided with slots i6 engaged bylpins i to the partition walls 2, 3 and proguides for the supporting member l5, supporting member is inovabiy mounted.

ly means of Va screw I8 a stamp 2i pro- \"i lcd x ith nwo .pressing aws is fixed to the member l5. The vobject of the said stamp wili lbe described hereinafter.

irhove the main driving shaft 4 pivot bolts 22 are fixed tothe outer sides of the partitions 2, 3, and on the said pivot `bolts levers are rockingly mounted, which aire connected at their top ends by a bailr 24. The bottom ends of'the levers 23 cooperate with cams 25 v'hired Ato the main driving vshatt 4.

The cams 25 lare fixed to the main driving shaft 4 in such positions that in the position of the parts shown in Fig. 3 the bail 24 is in the path of the slots l0 for the controlling card. hus a slot 27 made i-n the lid 26 for inserting the Vcontrolling card 1l into the apparatus is closed.

Further, to the outer side of the wall 3 a pivot bolt 28 is fixed on which a lever 29 is rockingly mounted, the top end of which cooperates with a cam disk 30 fixed to the main driving shaft 4. The bottom end of lever 29 is connected with a bail 3l which in the position of the parts shown in Fig. 3

Iprojects. into the bottom part of the guide slotsl() for the card l1, thus closing an opening 33 made in the bottom plate of the casing for ejecting the card. The end of the main driving shaft 4 projecting through the lid 26 of the apparatus is formed wit-h a triangular stud 34 on which an operating lever 37 is removably mounted, which can be rocked in the direction of the arrow ai shown in Fig. l between two lugs and 36. This lever may be so mounted -on the shaft 4 that it is removable only when 'the shaft is in operative position.

The operating lever 37 is provided with locking .means preventing the same to .be removed or loperated by non-authorized persons. To show what may be done, a lead vseal 38 has been illustrated in Fig. 1.

To the main driving shaft a locking cam 39V is liXed, which cooperates with a lockinO' lever 41 roclinel 1 mounted on a Divoto an l bolt 40.

Between the top ends of the walls 2, 3, a

counting or registering mechanism comprising figure wheels 42 is mounted., which registering mechanism may have any known -or preferred construction. The figures indicated by the said registering mechanism are displayed through a slot 43 made in the ilid 26 of the casing. To the shaft 44 carryingV the figure wheels 42 a rachet wheel 45 is fixed which is acted upon by a pawl 46 'mounted on a lever 47, 4S rockingly mounted on a shaft 49 fixed to the wall 2, a spring 50 provided on the shaft 49 of the lever 4T, 43 pressing the pawl 46 into engagement with the rachet wheel 45.

A locking pawl 52 acted upon by a leaf spring 51 is provided for lpreventing accidental backward movement of the figure wheels 42. ilo the arm 48 ofthe lever 47, 48 a. pin 48 is fixed, which cooperates with the locking pawl 4l. Y

Further, on a shaft 53 provided between the walls 2, 3 a registering mechanism or odometer 54 is mounted, the iigure wheels of which are equipped with types adapted to print figures. rEhe igures of the said for a pin 61 carried by an eccentric 62 fixed to the axis 63 of a worm gear 64 engaged by a worm 65. The axis of 66 of the said worm is connected, by gear wheels 67, 68, with ai shaft 70 passed through a lug 69 of the casing and adapted to be coupled with a rotary member of the vehicle.

The eccentric 62 cooperates with a pawl 71 adapted to operate a counting mechanism 73 mounted on the base plate 32 of the casing between brackets 72 and cooperating with a ratchet disk 75 mounted on the axis 74 of the counting mechanism 73, a spring 76 being provided for holding the pawl 71 in engagement with the ratchet disk 75. The figures displayed by the counting mechanism 73 can be read through a slot 77 made in the lid 26 of the casing. Below the counting mechanism 54 of the printing apparatus a stamp 78 is fixed, which is provided with a type for printing a controlling sign such for example as the number of the vehicle, the said stamp cooperating with the pressing jaw 20 of the stamp 21. Further, an opening 79 is provided in the lid 26 through which the matter printed on the card 11 inserted into the casing can be read.

The controlling card shown in Fig. 6 is provided at its side with an extension 80 which, when inserting the card through the slots 10, cooperates with the front end of the arm 47 of the lever 47, 48.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows:

When the vehicle carrying the apparatus is in operation, the units of the length of way through which the vehicle is driven, for example kilometers, are indicated by the counting mechanism 73 and by the registering mechanism 54 of the printing apparatus. Thus both mechanisms indicate the same figures. If after driving through a certain length of way, for which the impost or the insurance tax has been paid for the Vehicle by means of the card previously inserted into the apparatus, a new card is to be inserted into the apparatus,y the lead seal 38 must first be broken, so that the lever 37 can be rocked from the position shown in Fig. 3 into the position shown in Fig. 5.

By the rocking movement thus imparted to the main driving shaft 4 at first the printing stamp 21 is pressed by means of the supporting member 15 and the cam 12 cooperating with the arms 14 thereof is pressed on the card which is still within the casing, and the said card is pressed on the types of the counting mechanism 54 and the stamp 78 which are in printing position. Therefore the controlling figure corresponding to the number of the vehicle and the figure indicating the length of way so far made by the vehicle are printed on the controlling card supported on the bail 31.

lhen further rocking the operating level' shaft 4.

In this position of the parts the main driving shaft 4 is locked by means of the locking cam 39 and the locking lever'41. For releasing the main driving shaft a new card 11 is inserted into the apparatus through the slot 27. On the rear face of the said card the length of way yfor which for example the insurance tax has been paid by purchasing the said card may beprinted, and the figure indicating the said length of way can at any time be inspected through the opening of 79 after inserting the card ll. When inserting the card into the slots 10, its lateral extension 80 cooperates with the'front end of the arm 47 of the lever 47, 48, so that the lever is rocked in anti-clockwise direction about its axis 49. Thus the pawl 46 carried by the arm 48 advances the counting mechanism 42 an amount which corresponds to the number ofthe units of the length of Way (kilometers) insured by the new card or bears a definite relation thereto. The number to be set up in the registering mechanism 42 may, for example, be 1,2, 3, 4. 42, 43 etc.; if the unit lengths of way insured by the new cards are,

for example, 42, 500 kilometers or miles, etc. t

long, the number set upfWill be 42500, or, in order to employ a simpler mechanism, only the number 425 will be so setup. The length of way insured by the new card can at any time be ready through the opening 43.

As soon as the lower margin of the newly yinserted card 11 has engaged the lugs 9 of the locking lever 8 the `arm 47 of the lever 47, 48, which so far waslocked by the extension 80 of' the card, is released.

' s In the meantime the operating lever 37 has been rocked into the position shown in Fig. 5 in dotted lines, and it is now returned into initial position by being rocked in the direction of the arrow shown 'in Fig. 5. Now the printing mechanism is again operated, so that the gures of the counting mechanism 54 of the printing apparatus are printed on. the card 11 near the lower margin thereof. If-in the meantime the vehicle has not been moved, the said figure is the same as that printed on the old card before ejecting' the same, so that both figures indicate the units of the length of way (kilometers) from which the new insurance or 'the paying of the impost begins, When frirpher returning the eperetipg lever ..37 inte initial posit-ion the bail 31 is removed into peeitien fer `elesiils the Opening 33 Thereafter the lessi? @fthe leeliiiis vlever 8 iii-e retracted away from the path oi' the card 1l, so Vthat the nenT card can 'fall into the lower end position controlled by theloclring bail 3l. After the main driving shait has been returned into the initial positionl shown in Fig. 3, the slot 27 for inserting the card is closed by the lever L13, so that the parts of the mechanism used for registering the length of Way made by the vehicle can not be affected any more.

From the controlling cards having the units of Way printed theioii in the manner described, the oiiicials can at any time ascertain yWhether or not the vehicle has been. driven in thecourse of the total length ot Way registered by ther mechanism Without `the impost or insnrance taX having been paid.

Therefore, the amounts which have not been paid can novv be collected. The'oxvner of the vehicle can at any time ascertain :by means ef the registering meehenieiiie i? 'enel 73, if the total length of Way kcovered by the eepiieliipe' Cercle hee been attained, and what lengt-h of Way paid kfor by the cards een Still be mede Y ln lieu of the controlling cards 11 a plurality oi cards or continuons controlling strips may be nsed, which are automatically ted te 'elle printing meeiienieme ef the eppaieeueeed .epe eieetm after beine piiiiied upon.

While in describing the invention referene'e hee been mede ,te e peftieiilei exemple veembodying the saine I Wish it to Linderstood that my invention. is n ot limited to -tlie lconstruction shown .in the drawings, and thatvarious changes may be made in the general arrangement of the apparatus and the construction ofl its parts Without departingfrom the invention. Y

claim:

l.. A registering mechanism for recording npon a card or series of cards the distance traversed by a vehicle covered by impost. o r insurance taxes or the like, comprising a casing, an odometer mechanism in said casing adapted to be driven from the. vehicle, printiiiglL mechanism associated with, said odometer mechanism and adapted to print the initialv and final odometer readings iipon a card inserted into the registeringwmechanism, a controlling member outsidesaid casingoperable at the beginning and at the end of the ta-Xfpaid distance to actuate said printing mechanism, said printing mechanism being so disposed Within said casing `that the card l completely Aenclosed Within the casing during vthe interval between the iiiifiiel and final. printing, means fer ieieiii- 'ing said card Within said registering mechopenii'ig, said locking member being anisimand means operable after the iinal odometer reading has been printed4 on said card to render said retaining means inoperative.

2. A registering mechanism asset forth in claim l, including a shaft operatively connected With the" controlling member, the printingmechanism and the lastilentioned means being operatively connected to said thereotI and a discharge opening yat the botn Vtom thereof, and a locking member control-led vtrom said sha ytt and moveable into'the path of a new caro When the retaining means is rendered inoperative to permit discharge of a previous card through said discharge ranged to hold the card in position to have the initial odometer reading printed thereon, and movable ont of snch path to permit the new card to drop into position to have the final odometer reading printed thereon;

ai. A registering mechanism as set fort-li in vclaim l, whereinv said printing mechanism eeeiprieee @We ,eeeiieeieelieweytlie ie teiing mechanism including a stamp proyided with controlling sign, va 'shaft connected to the controlling member, anda connection Vbetween said shaft and said jaws whereby upon rocking-ot the shaft said jayvsaife smulteneeiisly preeeed toward the eflemetei' and ,Said etempl i 5- ,A registering iiieeheeieiii 'ee eet .iaith ip claim l, in which said 'casing isprovided with ,eiitreiiee .epfl an ,exit elet tei' the card, said registering mechanism inclnding a Shaft Operated by ,the eeniielliis member, and means for closing said entrance Slot 'i'. A registering mechanism asset forth in claim l, including a counting mechanism, a Window slot inthe casing adjacent said mechanism, and paWl and ratchet mechanism, adapted to be actuated vby a card upon' the vinsertion thereof, to operate said counting mechanism.

ln testimony Whereoi, l hereunto aiiix my signature.

HANS HEINZ.`

lili 

